Walk for railway car roofs



March 25, 1941. E. srssom 2,236,356

WALK ZfOR RAILWAY CAR ROOFS Original Fi led Nov. 16, 1936 Patented Mar. 25, 1941 Vinton E.

Sisson, Winnetka, 111., assig by mesne assrgnmentato Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation'o'f Delaware Application November 16, .1936, .Serial' No. 110,997

Renewed May .11, 1939 1' Claims. (01. 105-451! The device relates to railway freight train cars and specifically .to walks (or running boards, as they are called), on the tops of such cars to enable a brakema-n or other car operator to walk from one end of the car to the other or over several cars.

The object of the invention is to provide such a walk made of a light weight metallic plate which is formed at its outer margin to provide finger grips so that a brakeman can grab on to the walk to hold himself on the car particularly when the trainman must drop suddenly when a warning rope hits him just before entering a tunnel or going under a low bridge.

Another object of the invention is to obtain a very light weight walk which can be simply and economically manufactured and which can be applied or removed from the car with very little difliculty and to provide means to retain such walk in proper position on the car.

Another object is to provide a device which can be manufactured and stored in anticipation of future requirements.

The present common standard walk or running board comprises three 6 x 1" spaced apart boards extending longitudinally of the car which are bolted or screwed to running board saddles which, in turn, are fastened to the roof structure. Such boards become cracked, split or otherwise defective so that they are dangerous to walk upon on account of breakage and projections which cause the men to slip or fall.

The Safety Appliance Acts of the Interstate Commerce Commission law state that no projections are permissible on the surface of a running board which would trip a man.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a typical form of my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 show modified constructions.

In the form of my invention illustrated the car roof comprises a plurality of roof sheets 2 extending between and secured to the opposite side walls of the car with the adjacent edges of adjacent sheets provided with upstanding flanges 3 which are straddled by an upstanding carline 4 and secured thereto by rivets 5. The portion of the sheet between the adjacent carlines is bulged upwardly ('I) to increase the strength of the roof.

The walk extends longitudinally adjacent the center of the car and comprises a metallic plate having a horizontal flat tread portion l0 forming the walk proper and depending marginal stiifening flanges which are reformed to provide finger grips. In the modification shown in Fig. 1 the metal sheet is stiffened and reinforced by in- Wardlyinclined depending flanges l2 formed with .a reflange. 1.3, while Fig. :2 shows inwardly :curled depending flanges and-Fig. 3 shows the, depending flanges inwardly curled IG and outwardly flared IT.

The sections comprising the walk may be of constant cross section from end to end and welded or otherwise secured to the carlines in Fig, 1. However, I show a modification wherein the sheetis provided with a straight depending flange 20 over the carlines 4, which flange is notched (22) to straddle'the carline 4 with the notched portion welded to the carline to support the Walk and hold it in place. The part of the sheet walk between the carlines is formed with a depending flange l2 bent to form an inturned reflange I3 so. as to provide a finger grip. The walk is preferably made of a constant width steel sheet. The reflange l3 strengthens the walk (as a beam) between the carlines.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a railway car having a roof comprising a plurality of roof sheets connected by upstanding carlines in combination with a walk extending lengthwise of the car comprising a metallic plate having a horizontal tread portion and an inwardly curled depending flange at each side margin thereof, said flanges resting upon and secured to said carlines.

2. In a railway car having a roof comprising a plurality of roof sheets connected by upstanding seam structures with portions of said sheets between said seam structures bulged upwardly to increase the strength of the roof in combination with a walk extending lengthwise of the car comprising a metallic plate having a horizontal tread portion and a depending flange at each side margin thereof, the parts of said flanges over the seam structures being relatively deep, straight and provided with notches which straddle the seam structures and are secured thereto and the parts of said flanges over the upwardly bulged portions of the roof sheets being bent to form reflanges so as to reduce the depth of the flange over said portions.

3. In a railway car having a roof comprising alternating upper and lower portions, 2. walk extending lengthwise of the car above said roof comprising a metallic plate having a horizontal tread portion and depending side marginal flanges, said flanges being deeper above said lower portions than above said upper portions, and means supporting the walk upon said roof.

4. In a railway car having a roof comprising alternating upper and lower portions,,a walk extending lengthwise of the car above said roof comprising a metallic plate having a horizontal tread portion and depending side marginal flanges, said flanges being deeper above said lower portions than above said flanges provided with inwardly projecting reflanges above said upper portions, and means supporting the walk upon said roof;

5. In a railway car having a roof comprising a plurality of roof sheets connected by upstand ing seam structures, portions of said j-sheetjsbetween said seam structures being bulged upwardly to increase the strength of the roof, a walk extending lengthwise of the car above said roof comprising a metallic plate having a horizontal tread portion and depending side marginal flanges, said flanges being deeper between said said upper portions,

bulged portions, said flanges provided with notches which straddle said seam structures to support said walk.

6. In a railway car having a roof comprising a plurality of roof sheets connected by upstanding seam structures, portions of said sheets between said seam structures being bulged upwardly to increase the strength of the roof, 8

walk extending lengthwise of the car above said roof comprising spaced apart edgewise disposed parts, said parts being deeper between said bulged portions than above said bulged portions, said parts provided with notches which straddle said seam structures to support said walk.

7. In a railway car having a roof comprising alternating upper and lower portions, a walk having a tread portion, said walk extending lengthwise of the car above said roof and comprising spaced apart edgewise disposed parts extending below said tread portion, said parts being deeper above said lower portions than above said upper portions, and means upstanding from said lower portion and arranged to support said walk.

VINTON E. SISSON. 

